I am very pleased to be here to discuss humanitarian action and migration.

Humanitarian action has usually focused on refugees, rather than migrants.  Recent crises, however, have compelled us to take action on mixed movements of migrants and refugees.

Like migrants, many refugees settle for years in host countries and are in need of education, healthcare and jobs.  Countries should factor in the needs of refugees – and their host communities – to their development planning.

And like refugees, migrants need access to food, shelter as well as protection from violence, discrimination and exploitation, while their status is being determined. Lacking such protection, thousands of migrants have died in transit in recent years.

To prevent migrants and refugees from resorting to dangerous journeys and smuggling networks, States must make a commitment to policies and practices that support the safe and orderly movement of all migrants.   This is, by the way, also one of the new SDGs.

We see the urgent need for this in scenes that shame us all on our television and computer screens practically every day.

This World Humanitarian Summit is an important step towards the high-level meeting to address large movements of refugees and migrants on 19 September 2016.

I urge you to provide concrete and operational suggestions that will improve protection and support for refugees and migrants.

Finally, I call on all those with influence to counter xenophobic reactions to refugees and migrants at every opportunity.  The negative narrative must change.  Let us recognise that global migration is beneficial for countries both of destination and of origin – and for migrants themselves. 

Thank you.